41st anniversary of The Times of India, Bengaluru: Accelerated love for pedal path

By: KV NandakumarScissor cut : I was in Class 4 when my classmate Senthil told me about cycling this way. For latecomers, the scissor cut is a twisted and contorted way of cycling. It is a rare balancing act of pedalling under the triangular bar with the full-body weight heaved on one side, gingerly clutching the seat for grip and clutching only the left side of the handle.

This had a unique Ban- S galore name — ‘khatri cycle’ — because the cycling resembled a pair of scissors in action. My home turf Rajajinagar of the late 1970s and early 1980s had space for all — cycling or cricket that we played with zeal and on our own rules.

By the time I stepped into high school, I had convinced my dad to buy me a bicycle. We went to Srinivasa Cycle Mart on Magadi Road from where we used to rent bicycles for scissor-cut rides.

Yes, Bengaluru had bicycles on rent and I was thrilled to move up to the next level of owing one. It was a no-frills Hercules, my constant companion at school and leisure. I went to Class 10 exams on it. By this time, the city roads had welcomed bikes which zoomed past you, but my cycle was second to none. My bicycle had seen all places in and around Bangalore: Mahalakshmi Layout Anjaneya temple to Gavipuram Guttahalli, from Malleswaram cricket grounds to Hesaraghatta grasslands and guava orchards.

Cometh the 90s, and it was college time. A ride from my Rajajinagar home to SSMRV College in JP Nagar through Jayanagar IV Block was a breeze. The legendary Koshy’s on St Marks Road and Bowring Club kulfi shop stood as testimony to my most weekend rides. I remember going for a fruit salad with ice cream at Lake View Milk Bar on MG Road after visiting British Library. Those were the wonder years. It was time to join work, and the need for speed at work forced me to embrace a scooter, teary-eyed I gave away my Hercules to a family friend.Work took me places. When I returned to Bengaluru — the city of birth — it had become India’s IT capital. I could quickly reconnect with my roots and cycling was still a happening thing despite fast cars and Metro rides. I could rekindle my love for cycling and blend it with the fast-paced city just the way the nuts got blended into Corner House’s signature ice-cream delicacy ‘Death by Chocolate’.The city offered bicycle rides for beginners and Randonneurs (self-supported, long-distance rides).

Bangalore Randonneurs under Mohan Subramanyam organises long-distance randonneuring rides every week, the ‘cycle2work’ campaign initiated by the bicycle mayor of Bangalore, Satya Shankaran, which I’m a part of, riding twice every week to work has a strong representation across the city.Bangalore Bicycling school started by cyclist Dr Ali Poonawala — who diligently teaches people of all ages to cycle every Sunday morning at Cubbon Park — Cycle Day and Cyclothon events have been a permanent feature with beginners and endurance cyclists alike.And we have poet-cyclist Ashok Thiruvengadam, who praises every achievement with eloquence to the city’s cycling monk and personal trainer (late) Anil Kadsur, whom the cycling fraternity sorely misses every day. Kadsur cycled till his last breath and will remain in our hearts as an everlasting inspiration. How could I forget the octogenarian cyclist and marathoner Janardhan, who never misses an opportunity to cycle and is a regular at most cycling events? Bangalore Bicycling Championship (BBCh) nurtured by techie-cyclist Bikey Venky, GoGreen cycling group by Rao, Spokeswomen by Vidya and Velokofi by Sashi have added cyclists in large numbers to the growing community.

Holy-grail apps Strava and Goalsfit have loads of competitive cycling contests for the discerning.There are grand tours on offer if you love longer rides with Tour de’Nandi (started by former Philips software CEO Bob Hoekstra), Tour of Nilgiris founded by city cyclists Sridhar Pabbisetty and Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Tour of Karnataka started as a fun ride by Chetan Ram have added to the annual cycling calendar.Over the years, the government has promoted cycling with support and patronage.

Karnataka government’s initiative B-Trac (Bicycle Traffic Awareness Campaign) in collaboration with DULT (Directorate of Urban Land Transport) has had successful activities such as Cycle Day to promote community cycling and cycle4change campaign to promote last-mile connectivity.The future of cycling is in safe hands with the GenZ embracing it for mobility and leisure. Companies such as Wipro, Infosys, Dell and Qualcomm are part of a cycling initiative called ‘Thunderbolt’ aimed to promote cycling among their employees and as a mobility option within their campuses.Knowledge institutions such as Indian Institute of Science and Indian Space Research Organisation have cycling infrastructure on their campuses.The dedicated cycling lanes laid by BBMP across the city has been a boon for cyclists. These lanes do help reduce traffic snarls and road hazards. However, there’s more to do in this area to improve the infrastructure and its maintenance.It has overall been a joyful journey from Rajajinagar’s scissor-cut to Whitefield’s software tech, seeing the city grow and prosper. Like a proud Bangalorean, let me tell you every little thing here is magic and it’s all ‘sakkath hot maga’! Until we meet again, pedal up safe.